Why Me?

The secret things belong to the Lord our God. —Deuteronomy 29:29

Recently I read Psalm 131, one of my favorite psalms. In the past, I viewed it as an encouragement to understand that mystery is one of the hallmarks of God’s character. It challenged me to let my mind be at rest, since I am unable to understand all that God is doing in His universe.

But then I saw another side of David’s calm spirit: I am unable to understand all that God is doing in me, and it is impossible to try.

David draws a comparison between a weaned child that no longer frets for what it once demanded, and a soul that has learned the same lesson. It is a call to learn humility, patient endurance, and contentment in all my circumstances—whatever they are—though I do not understand God’s reasons. Divine logic is beyond the grasp of my mind.

I ask, “Why this affliction? Why this anguish?” The Father answers, “Hush, child. You wouldn’t understand if I explained it to you. Just trust Me!”

So, I turn from contemplating David’s example to ask myself: Can I, in my circumstances, “hope in the Lord”? (v.3). Can I wait in faith and patience without fretting and without questioning God’s wisdom? Can I trust Him while He works in me His good, acceptable, and perfect will?

( by David H. Roper)

It may not be for me to see

The meaning and the mystery

Of all that God has planned for me

Till “afterward”! —Anon.

In a world of mystery, it’s a comfort

to know the God who knows all things.

The Isolation Chamber

“Be still and know that I am God….” Psalm 46:10

There is a time and place in our walk with God in which He sets us in a place of waiting. It is a place in which all past experiences are of no value. It is a time of such stillness that it can disturb the most faithful if we do not understand that He is the one who has brought us to this place for only a season. It is as if God has placed a wall around us. No new opportunities–simply inactivity.

During these times, God is calling us aside to fashion something new in us. It is an isolation chamber designed to call us to deeper roots of prayer and faith. It is not a comfortable place, especially for a task-driven workplace believer. Our nature cries out, “You must do something,” while God is saying, “Be still and know that I am God.” You know the signs that you have been brought into this chamber when He has removed many things from your life and you can’t seem to change anything. Perhaps you are unemployed. Perhaps you are laid up with an illness.

Most religious people live a very planned and orchestrated life where they know almost everything that will happen. But for people in whom God is performing a deeper work, He brings them into a time of quietness that seems almost eerie. They cannot say what God is doing. They just know that He is doing a work that cannot be explained to themselves or to others.

Has God brought you to a place of being still? Be still and know that He really is God. When this happens, the chamber will open soon after.

( by Os Hillman)

Quote for the day

We wont be shaken....
.....Coz our hope is in The Unshakable!

My Fingernails Or His Hand?

The Lord upholds him with His hand. —Psalm 37:24

Tough times can cause us to get our perspective turned around. I was reminded of this recently as I talked to a fellow-griever—another parent who, like Sue and me, lost a teenage daughter to death suddenly and without warning.

She told me she had been missing her daughter terribly, and she told God she felt as if she were hanging on by her fingernails. Then she felt as if God reminded her that His hand of protection was there to hold her up—that she could let go, and He would catch her.

That’s a better perspective, isn’t it? This picture reminds us that when troubles come and we feel least able to hold on to our faith, it’s not up to us. It’s up to God to support us with His mighty hand.

Psalm 37:23-24 says: “The steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord . . . . Though he fall, he shall not be utterly cast down; for the Lord upholds him with His hand.” And Psalm 63:8 tells us: “My soul follows close behind You; Your right hand upholds me.”

In tough times, we can become so preoccupied with our role in “clinging to God” that we forget about His promised protection. It’s not our fingernails that sustain us—it’s His loving, upholding hand.

( by Dave Branon)

God’s hand that holds the ocean’s depths

Can hold my small affairs;

His hand that guides the universe,

Can carry all my cares. —Anon.

No one is more secure than the one who is held in God’s hand.

Walking on impossibilities

“He said, Come! So Peter got out of the boat and walked on the water…” (Matthew 14:29)

This is one of my favourite verses in the Scriptures. I like it because it contains an essential truth, which when applied, can help you overcome impossibilities.

Peter was a veteran fisherman. He knew how to stay in the boat during turbulent weather. It may be an impossible task for you but not for Peter. However to walk on water was an impossible task for Peter. He has never heard about such a thing!

But all that changed when Peter found Jesus walking on water. He extended Jesus a rather amusing request: “…Lord, if it is You, command me to come to You on the water” (Matthew 14:28)

Why did Peter ask Jesus to ‘command’ him to walk on the water? The root word used here for ‘command’ is ‘keleuson’ (Greek term). It means to ‘give an order’ or ‘incite by word’.

Peter had a revelation of the power vested in the command given by Jesus. He knew if he ever wanted to walk on water, he needed an ‘order’, a ‘command’, a ‘word’ from Jesus. And once he got it, He began to walk on it!

You see, to the natural eye, Peter was walking on the water. But the truth is, he was walking on the ‘command’ or the ‘word’ of Jesus. It’s his trust and dependence on that word that made him walk on the water.

That’s the key to overcoming your impossibilities. What are you facing today? Debt, loneliness, joblessness, sickness, failure, addiction? Whatever that be, do what Peter did. Ask Jesus to give you a word. Spend time in the Scriptures. And when you sense His ‘command’, take it by faith.

Hold on to that word. Confess that word. Walk on that word.

Then watch and see how your impossibilities become marvellous sights of God’s power and grace!

( by Joe Abraham, taken from turnbacktogod.com)

The LORD shall fight for you, and ye shall hold your peace

The LORD shall fight for you, and ye shall hold your peace. - Exodus 14:14

 If you remain still, I will do your fighting for you.

In today's promise, we have an amazing assurance that the God who spoke the entire universe into existence will fight for us if we will only remain still. The NIV Bible says this verse this way...The LORD will fight for you; you need only to be still." 

I believe there is something in the heart of God that fights on our behalf when we do not try and fight for ourself. Waiting on the Lord is not passive, it is active. When we wait on God to fight for us, we are putting ourselves in a very vulnerable position and by doing so we are demonstrating in a very practical way that we know that our heavenly Dad is the source of our help.

Does this mean that we never wage warfare on a spiritual level? After all, the Bible says that we are to 'resist the devil and he will flee', 'take on the full armor of God', etc. I believe what Exodus 14:14 is talking about is fighting in our own strength. There is a huge difference from fighting our battles in our own best efforts and fighting battles in the power of the Lord's might.

When we learn that the battle really is the Lord's, we can rest in His ability to save us and draw from His strength and not our own. Whatever battle you are facing today, be comforted in knowing that you have a  Father (God) and a big brother (Jesus) fighting on your behalf. You only need to be at peace and watch what happens.

( taken from 365promises.com)

Ten Ways to Love

1. Listen without interrupting.

Proverbs 18:13 – To answer before listening, that is folly and shame.

2. Speak without accusing.

James 1:19 – My dear brothers and sisters, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry.

3. Give without sparing.

Proverbs 21:26 – All day long he craves for more, but the righteous give without sparing.

4. Pray without ceasing.

Colossians 1:9 – For this reason, since the day we heard about you, we have not stopped praying for you. We continually ask God to fill you with the knowledge of his will through all the wisdom and understanding that the Spirit gives.

5. Answer without arguing.

Proverbs 17:1 – Better a dry crust with peace and quiet than a house full of feasting, with strife.

6. Share without pretending.

Ephesians 4:15 – Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will grow to become in every respect the mature body of him who is the head, that is, Christ.

7. Enjoy without complaining.

Philippians 2:14 – Do everything without grumbling or arguing.

8. Trust without wavering.

Corinthians 13:7 – Love always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.

9. Forgive without punishing.

Colossians 3:13 – Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you.

10. Promise without forgetting.

Proverbs 13:12 – Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but a longing fulfilled is a tree of life.

( taken from turnbacktogod.com)

Free to Choose

This article affected me much. I realized that faith is not believing that God will always answer our prayers with a 'yes', but believing that He loves us and works for our good even when his reply is 'no' or 'wait'. 

Have a faith-filled day!

Free to Choose...

He knelt down on his knees three times that day, and prayed and gave thanks before his God, as was his custom since early days. —Daniel 6:10

When it was learned that the biggest football game of the 2011 season was scheduled to be played on Yom Kippur, the student government at the University of Texas petitioned school officials to change the date. They said it was unfair to make Jewish students choose between the classic football rivalry with Oklahoma and observing their most important and sacred holy day of the year. But the date was not changed. Even in societies where people have religious freedom, difficult choices are still required of every person of faith.

Daniel demonstrated the courage to obey God no matter what the consequences. When his political rivals set a trap to eliminate him from their path to power (Dan. 6:1-9), he didn’t challenge the law or complain that he had been wronged. “When Daniel knew that the writing was signed, he went home. And in his upper room, with his windows open toward Jerusalem, he knelt down on his knees three times that day, and prayed and gave thanks before his God, as was his custom since early days” (v.10).

Daniel didn’t know if God would save him from the lions’ den, but it didn’t matter. He chose to honor God in his life whatever the outcome. Like Daniel, we are free to choose to follow the Lord.

( by David C. McCasland)

What freedom lies with all who choose

To live for God each day!

But chains of bondage shackle those

Who choose some other way. —D. De Haan

You can never go wrong when you choose to follow Christ.

Bible verse for today

I will say of the Lord,
"He is my refuge and my fortress,
my God in Him I will trust." (Psalm 91:2)

God will bring you through...

Tough times don’t last.

Tough people do.

Be Tough today!

God Will Bring You Through…

“...I have faith in God that it will happen just as he told me.” Acts 27:25

On his way to Rome , Paul - and 276 others - were shipwrecked.

I can think of three important lessons from their story.

First, that we must listen to God. If we don’t, we’ll experience heartache and loss:

‘...Paul had warned them, “Men, I can see that our voyage is going to be disastrous and bring great loss”…

But the centurion, instead of listening to what Paul said,

followed the advice of the pilot and… the majority decided that we should sail on...’ (Acts 27:9-12).

Notice, being in the majority doesn’t make somebody right.

Who are we listening to?

Do they know God? Are they walking by faith or by human reasoning?

Jesus said, ‘...he who receives whomever I send receives Me’ (John 13:20).

Second, that the purposes of God will always overcome the plans of men and women.

God can actually make mistakes work for our good.

Through this shipwreck Paul landed on Malta and introduced the Gospel to its people.

Instead of beating ourselves up over mistakes, or arguing about who’s right and who’s wrong,

try to see the hand of God in it.

Especially when we are placed in situations beyond our doing, then be certain that the Lord is at work in it.

Finally, whatever we’ve lost, God can restore it.

‘[The people of Malta ] honoured us in many ways and when we were ready to sail,

they furnished us with the supplies we needed’ (Acts 28:10).

Don’t limit God.

He will use people to bless us - people we haven’t even met yet.

Let’s be encouraged;

God will bring you through!

( by Irma Raymond)

Bible verse for today

We place our destiny in the hands of the Lord, not in the hands of men,
because His mercy is as great as His majesty. (Sirach 2:18)

When God says, 'Wait'...

Struggling? 

Take heart & take God’s hand.

There’s no difficulty that He & you can’t handle together.

Like Mary did in Luke 10:38-42, choose the better part today!

God Bless You!

When God says, ‘Wait’…

“[Your] steps… are ordered by the Lord...” Psalm 37:23

What should you do when doors you thought God had opened suddenly slam shut?

You’re thinking, ‘Lord, I did all the right things. Why is this happening?’

Be at peace, God is still directing your steps.

When your hopes seem crushed and your plans have altered,

rely on His superior wisdom and unfailing love.

God has already planned your life from beginning to end,

so trust Him to work things out for your good (Isaiah 46:10-11).

If you give it a little more time, your pain will turn to praise as you realise that He just closed a lesser door to open a greater one.

Timing is so important!

As you begin to understand God’s timing you’ll be better able to cooperate with Him.

When you don’t know,

learn to wait with confidence on the One who does.

The problem most of us have is that we attempt to take the lead role in our relationship with God

and it doesn’t work.

God has that role, and He won’t give it to us!

He gives instructions and we’re supposed to follow,

even when we don’t like or understand the way He takes us.

‘Why does it take God so long to do things?’ you ask.

Because unanswered questions create trust.

When you don’t know, you have to trust the One who does,

and that keeps you growing in faith.

God has a definite plan and time,

and while He’s getting you ready He keeps you in His waiting room.

If that’s where you are today, remember,

it’s only as you reach new levels of maturity

that God releases new levels of blessing into your life.

( by Irma Raymond)

Discouraged?

When God takes away something from your hand,

Don’t think He’s punishing you.

But He’s merely emptying your hands,

To receive something even better.

When Your Hut is on Fire…

The only survivor of a shipwreck was washed up on a small, uninhabited island. He prayed feverishly for God to rescue him. Every day he scanned the horizon for help, but none seemed forthcoming. Exhausted, he eventually managed to build a little hut out of driftwood to protect him from the elements, and to store his few possessions.

One day, after scavenging for food, he arrived home to find his little hut in flames, with smoke rolling up to the sky. He felt the worst had happened, and everything was lost. He was stunned with disbelief, grief, and anger. He cried out, 'God! How could you do this to me?'

Early the next day, he was awakened by the sound of a ship approaching the island! It had come to rescue him! 'How did you know I was here?' asked the weary man of his rescuers. 'We saw your smoke signal,' they replied.

It's easy to get discouraged when things are going bad, but we shouldn't lose heart, because God is at work in our lives, even in the midst of our pain and suffering. Remember that the next time your little hut seems to be burning to the ground. It just may be a smoke signal that summons the Grace of God.

Rejoice in God’s message of love for you:

In ALL things God works for the GOOD of those who love Him and are called accordingly to His purpose. (Romans 8:28)

( by Irma Raymond)

Spiritual war

The result of spiritual war depends not on the enemy but on the one who fights.

Youth of the time finds challenges; sometimes upto the bottom of their suffering strength. But it is not without a plan. Fight can be done gaining and losing. The way we fight and our attitude is important.

Read more on Spiritual Warfare

The Bible says that there was a prolonged warfare between the house of David and the house of Saul. David waxed stronger and stronger while the house of Saul waxed weaker and weaker.

God anointed David as the King of Israel long time ago. He did not make David a King immediately. It took years of humiliations, life of exile and prolonged warfare before David became anything. David hid in caves and lived as a fugitive. He looked to the mountains and cried, “where shall my help come from”. He complained to God, “my God, my God why have you forsaken me”. It looked as if his complaints were falling on deaf years. It is difficult to be a King. When God anoints a King after his heart, He will prepare him through rigorous discipline. A king is anointed by a prophet. David could not have become a king with out Samuel.

Remember, when David was running away from Saul, the priest presented him with the sword of Goliath and David ate the consecrated bread. The sword represents the Holy Spirit and the consecrated bread represents Jesus. You need Jesus of the Blessed Sacrament and the Holy Spirit of God to fight the spiritual battles ahead of you.

Spiritual life is a prolonged warfare. It is by a gradual process that God takes us to our destiny. We advance inch by inch. Sometimes we fall. Sometimes we feel like giving up. It is a tumultuous struggle full of turmoil. The end result is rewarding, because we will become worthy to be called the children of God.

Real kings are made in the furnace of God. They will stand the test of time.

( taken from turnbacktogod.com)