Uncomfortable?

Each night as we prepare for bed Get my pillow and blanket. I drape it across the “recliner” and then I push and pull to get settled in. Last night I was just right when Danny realized he needed something. It was no inconvenience though because I love him and I have much to be thankful for.
Oh beloved. Life has been quite comfortable hasn’t it? You’ve enjoyed restful nights and calm days. But now you’ve been removed from your nest. What does God want? Why has He allowed this? How can you make it?
God wants to confirm you to the image of His Son. So now you need to find His peace when yours is so disturbed. God wants you to grow in grace and knowledge. Here you are- completely uncomfortable so He gives you the opportunity to seek His face and believe His Word. He allows even the hard times so that you and I will know that we can’t make it on our own. We need a supernatural strength to get through this. 
What a magnificent truth that even when the enemy means to do evil and destroy us God will turn it for good. You and I can count on God and say yes Lord whenever our rest is disturbed and our hope is delayed. 
God loves you and he is for you always. Christ became very uncomfortable so that you could have an abundant life. Thank him this morning for the changes because you know that He is with you and his hand is upon you and nothing will ever separate you from his love.
2 Corinthians 3:18 But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as from the Lord, the Spirit.
I John 4:10 This is real love–not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as a sacrifice to take away our sins.
Romans 12:1-2 Therefore I urge you, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect.

Trust God- He knows what He’s Doing

I ask Danny this question a lot lately: “What are you doing?” He starts moving and even swings his legs off the bed or starts moving his chair. I want to know what’s up and why he’s doing that. Sometimes he flashes those eyes at me or lifts those brows and lets me know I don’t have to ask him that all the time. Sometimes he’s moving and other times he’s just adjusting.

Oh beloved. You may want to ask God “What are You doing?” You don’t understand what’s happening right now and He’s not telling you. You see Him moving and things are happening. But you want to know why. 

God wants you to know this morning that He knows what He’s doing. And He wants you to learn to trust Him even when He is silent. Your life is so important to Him that even when you walk through the valley of the shadow of death you will not fear anything. He wants you so wrapped in His love that you don’t have to ask so many questions. God wants to adjust your life in such a way that you simply lean on Him and follow wherever He leads. 

God loves you and He’s for you. This is stepping out of natural and moving into supernatural living. He is teaching you and me, even in the midst of silence, that He will carry us and bless us and deliver us always. Your destination and mine is to be conformed to His image as we live in trust of the Lord and follow Him with our whole life no matter what.

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

Psalm 16:8 have set the LORD continually before me; Because He is at my right hand, I will not be shaken.

Romans 8:29 For those whom He foreknew, He also predestined to become conformed to the image of His Son, so that He would be the firstborn among many brethren;

Nahum 1:7 The LORD is good, a refuge in times of trouble. He cares for those who trust in Him

He Keeps His Vows

We had to attend a stroke education meeting. As I looked around the room feeling very uncomfortable I tried to pretend I did not belong there. Just then I heard the voice of another woman pierce the quiet conversation of the teacher. “Excuse me. I have some questions. Who sent me here? I don’t belong here. I did not sign up for this.” 

Oh beloved can you relate? When we sign up for this life of faith it looks pretty easy. After all we aren’t being burned at the stake nor are we being hung on a cross. And yet many if not all of us will find ourselves in the middle of something we never signed up for. We can protest, scream into a pillow, refuse to agree or try to keep our eyes and ears shut but it is what it is. Except for our Lord. 

What God wants you and me to know is that He keeps His vows to us for the endurance of it all. He sets angels guard over us. He causes us to look beyond ourselves to His inner strength. He allows us the momentary light afflictions so that He can produce for us an eternal weight of glory far beyond all comparison. He says you cannot ignore what’s going on all around you but you can rely on Him by fixing your eyes completely on Him. He will walk you through everything. And so I accept and you must too that God is working everything out for our good. 

Keep asking God for the miraculous for He alone is a miracle working God. Look for angels for He says He will give them charge over you. And pray that He will use you even now, even in this thing you are going through. This is not natural fatalism. It is supernatural peace that passes all understanding. You’re not giving up. You are just giving it all to Him.

God loves you and He is for you and Jesus is with you. And that’s all that really matters. 

2 Corinthians 4:17-18 For momentary, light affliction is producing for us an eternal weight of glory far beyond all comparison, while we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen; for the things which are seen are temporal, but the things which are not seen are eternal.

2 Corinthians 5:7 For we live by faith, not by sight.

Romans 8:28 And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.

As You Go

We were watching a message from Rolland Baker on YouTube when the first therapist of the day walked in. Rolland was sharing when God healed him from a deadly illness. We told her what we were watching. She began to share- that a woman in her church contracted HIV because her husband had an affair. Her life seemed over as she was a divorced woman with a fatal disease. But God healed her. Now she is married again and she and her new husband have a brand new baby!

Oh beloved! Your life may look hopeless. You may not see life in yourself or any relationship you have. But your God is alive and His Name is Redeemer, Savior, Healer and Friend. The Word says Jesus is the same yesterday, today and forever. You may be heaven bound but that’s not all. The Kingdom of God is within you. Your life is precious to God. And as you go and wherever you go there are Kingdom truths set in motion on your behalf. 

God loves you and He’s for you. Nothing you encounter is for your demise. Keep speaking the Truth and keep praising His Name and sharing Jesus with everyone. His light will increase your faith as you live in the Light of His Wonderful Plan!

Malachi 1:4 But for you who fear my name, the Sun of Righteousness will rise with healing in his wings. And you will go free, leaping with joy like calves let out to pasture.

Ephesians 5:19 Speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody with your heart to the Lord;

Romans 8:11 But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you.

Even A Sandwich

It’s always true that it’s a small world. One of our nurses was born and raised in a town near where we live. Her dad owned the local teenage hangout that all of us went to back in the 70’s. You could say we hit it off. 

Yesterday I was looking online thinking about supper. I thought about ordering something and having it delivered to me. I saw Jason’s deli and remembered how good a muffuletta sandwich is. But then I thought how silly it would be to have just a sandwich delivered to me. I decided I’d just eat what I had. 

When the nurses changed in pops the new friend who’s dad owned the drive-in. You’ll never believe what she had in her hand. Half of a muffuletta sandwich from Jason’s deli. I cannot believe God loved me so much that he put it on the heart of a nurse to get that very same sandwich. And he loved her so much that he wanted to use her. And I told her so. She said I don’t hear from him very often because I don’t listen good. I said but you did really good this time.

Oh beloved. God wants you to know this morning that he will move heaven and earth on your behalf. He cares about the big things and he cares about the little things. He hears your heart and he loves to bless your life. Nothing is too difficult for him. Nothing is too simple or little for him either. And he delights in showing his children just how much he hears and just how much he cares. Sometimes he loves to remind you with some little event like a sandwich.

God loves you and He’s for you. Talk to him today and thank him for all the wonderful things he’s doing even in the midst of things that are hard. Thank him to that hard times don’t last but his love endures forever! 

Psalm 37:4 Delight yourself in the LORD And He will give you the desires of your heart.

Psalm 94:19 When doubts filled my mind, your comfort gave me renewed hope and cheer.