Tag: refuge

Posted on

The Answer

If you are anything like me, then you carry a lot of weight on your shoulders. Not physical weight, but symbolic weight.  You feel like you have to solve every problem and make everything right; you have to make sure everyone is pleased with what you do and if you don’t do any of these things – you are a failure.  These are things we feel like we can control…oh, but we can’t.  Nope, we aren’t that powerful.

If you are a control freak like me, then you must admit that there are things out of reach for you to change and that you cannot make everyone happy.  It’s so hard sometimes to deal with that, but it is life.  We MUST put our trust in God.  We MUST allow God to fight those battles.  And we MUST not allow ourselves to carry burdens we were never meant to carry.

As I have confessed above, this is me most days.  So when I say that having this problem is in connection with a BIG pride issue we MUST face (and repent from) – I am speaking to myself also.  Pride will destroy us if we allow it, even when we mask it by telling ourselves we are helping others.  We will not be able to solve all problems and we will not be able to be the superhero to every story.  That is Jesus’ job.

The book of James is my favorite…it really is.  I love how direct he is and doesn’t sugar coat things.  It’s awesome.  James 4:6 says “But he gives more grace.  Therefore it says, ‘God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble.’”  Dear fellow control freaks – when we get into a spiral where we feel like a constant failure, maybe it’s time to humble ourselves before God and admit that we took too much on.  Repent of the sin of not fully trusting God and let His grace wash over us.  It’s a soothing thing to let that grace wash over our “pride” wounds we gave ourselves.

Jesus is always the answer – we are not.  People that don’t know Him need someone to show them what is the answer.  We need to always point to Him in everything we do.  I know that many of us mean good when we try to constantly make things better for everyone around us and solve everyone’s problem, but that isn’t our job.  Our job is to love – God and people (Mark 12:29-31).  That is it.  If we do this without getting in the way of God doing His work, then we are successful.  And, when we fail to do this – because we will – if we go to God in repentance, then we are successful also.

The greatest way to fix this problem is to dwell with God.  If we stop 1) reading scripture, 2) worshiping Him, and/or 3) healing wise counsel/preaching/teaching – then we can get into a spot where we feel we need to take on more than we need to.  God is our refuge and strength and He is always the answer!

Psalm 46:

God is a safe place to hide,
ready to help when we need him.
We stand fearless at the cliff-edge of doom,
courageous in seastorm and earthquake,
Before the rush and roar of oceans,
the tremors that shift mountains.

Jacob-wrestling God fights for us,
God-of-Angel-Armies protects us.

River fountains splash joy, cooling God’s city,
this sacred haunt of the Most High.
God lives here, the streets are safe,
God at your service from crack of dawn.
Godless nations rant and rave, kings and kingdoms threaten,
but Earth does anything he says.

Jacob-wrestling God fights for us,
God-of-Angel-Armies protects us.

Attention, all! See the marvels of God!
He plants flowers and trees all over the earth,
Bans war from pole to pole,
breaks all the weapons across his knee.
“Step out of the traffic! Take a long,
loving look at me, your High God,
above politics, above everything.”

 Jacob-wrestling God fights for us,
God-of-Angel-Armies protects us.

 

IMG_5240[1]

 

 

Posted on

Our Strong Tower

Living in Texas, I am accustomed to thunderstorms. They often don’t scare me, but I’ll admit there are times I do get uneasy. As a child, my relationship to storms was very different. Even the smallest rain storm would cause anxiety because I was unsure of what may come.
My life of faith in God is described very similarly. Before I truly knew God deeply, I was often fearful when things got crazy, hard, or sad. But as I grew and started to learn that God had me – I learned that there is no need for fear.
Dear reader, you may not know the how, when, or what of God’s plan for a reprieve in your storm, but know that He always has a plan. There is nothing that happens that He doesn’t know about (see Job 1:6-12). So there is no need to worry.
Look at what happened when Jesus died on the Cross. Jesus himself told the disciples that He will rise again (see Mark 9:21 & Luke 9:22). But there was still doubt in Thomas’ heart – he had to put his hands in Jesus’ wounds to believe that the Lord had risen (John 20:24-29). Sometimes, our miracle is staring us in the face, but our faith is too small to see it.
When you stand upon the promises of God, great things happen. Have faith and don’t falter. Trust the plan God has in place & learn to use faith to make it through!
Do you struggle with faith? Remember this: “So faith comes from hearing, that is, hearing the Good News about Christ.”

‭‭Romans‬ ‭10:17‬ ‭NLT‬‬ – so get into the Word of God. Read it daily. You will find yourself gaining faith. As you gain faith, your relationship will grow with God.
Storms come to all, that is fact, but we don’t have to succumb to them. Keep your head up!
“The name of the LORD is a strong fortress; the godly run to him and are safe.”

‭‭Proverbs‬ ‭18:10‬ ‭NLT‬‬