Standing On The Promises Of God

Jesus said that “He will reveal Himself to those who love Him”.  I believe this with all my heart.  When Jason and Sarah were in the hospital suffering from life threatening injuries He did just that.  I was completely broken and reached out to God for some kind of explanation for what was happening to our family.  We had lost a grandbaby to SIDS just 7 months earlier and now this.  What was going on???

God didn’t give me an explanation but He did promise me that everything was going to be alright and then later on He told me that He would heal Jason. He didn’t say when only that he would’ walk again.  People look at me like I have two heads when I tell them of God’s promise.  They say things like he will walk again when he gets to heaven or if that’s God’s will.  They don’t understand that God actually spoke to me and promised me that Jason would be healed. 

When I was on my face, broken hearted and broken down, seeking the face of God He revealed Himself to me.  I knew in that moment that everything was going to be alright.  I can’t explain it but if you have ever been in a similar situation you know exactly what I’m talking about.  God does draw near to the broken hearted and He does reveal Himself to those who love Him.

With the breakthroughs in stem cell and nanotechnology it is only a matter of time before they are able to regenerate the spinal cord that will cure paralysis.  Jason will walk again and I give all the praise and all the glory to the One True God who makes it all possible!!!

Scripture

The one who has My commands and keeps them is the one who loves Me. And the one who loves Me will be loved by My Father. I also will love him and will reveal Myself to him."  John 14:21

Draw near to God, and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, sinners, and purify your hearts, double-minded people!  James 4:8

Now without faith it is impossible to please God, for the one who draws near to Him must believe that He exists and rewards those who seek Him.  Hebrews 11:6

Fear......

Fear is of the enemy and I know why.  Fear can make us question our faith in God and His ability to move in our lives.  When we take our eyes off of the Lord the devil is able creep in and fill us with fear of the unknown and the “what if’s” can take over filling our hearts with anxiety over events that are absolutely out of our control. 

It’s the fear of the “what if’s” that fill our mind and takes our eyes off of God.  Its times like this that we need to remember that God is in control…not me and not you and certainly not the devil!  We have to put our trust in Him and have faith that He will be true to His word and give us the strength to get through whatever this world throws at us.  Although I believe this with all of my heart I have to be honest, it is sometimes easier said than done. 

Sometimes I feel the weight of the world upon my shoulders and every little decision seems so big and potentially life altering? Since the accident in 2007 I fear how my decisions may affect the lives of the people around me in ways that I never thought of before.  For instance; I asked my son to come in from Tyler to have dinner with us but after thinking about it and realizing he would be on the road after dark I decided that it would be better if he didn’t come at all.  It’s not that he’s an unsafe driver, I just didn’t want to take the chance of him having an accident on the way back home and it be my fault.  Another example is how badly I want my grandchildren to come visit but when I think about them being on the road and “what if the van breaks down” or “what if they have an accident”?  It would be my fault and I just couldn’t live with that either. 

I know my fears are irrational and of the devil.  If something were to happen it would be because God allowed it to happen not because of anything I did or didn’t do.  Fearing something will happen won’t make it happen.  There is nothing you or I can say or do to change what God has pre-ordained and it is very high minded of us if we think we can.  Let us keep our eyes on the One who cares for us, the lover of our soul, our King and Lord of Lords.  Only in Him can we truly live a fearless life. 

Scripture

For you did not receive a spirit that makes you a slave again to fear, but you received the Spirit of sonship. And by him we cry, ""Abba,"Father."  Romans 8:15

He said: "O LORD, God of Israel, there is no God like you in heaven or on earth--you who keep your covenant of love with your servants who continue wholeheartedly in your way.  2 Chronicles 7:14

Not Forsaken

“Eli, Eli, lem′a sabachth′ani?”  That is, “My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?  How many of us have ever asked God this question?  I know I have.  Of course, looking back I can see that He didn’t’.  There have been many times in my life where praying seemed to get me nowhere.  I felt God really wasn’t listening and He was going to do whatever He wanted to do anyway so why pray at all? 

I could not have been more wrong!  Prayer is a life line to the Father.  He cares about us and wants to hear from us.  Yes, He already knows what we need but that’s not the point.  We have to be in a position of submission and humble ourselves before Him if we expect Him to hear our prayers.  Praying while we’re driving, doing chores or a million other things is not spending quality time with Him.  Yes, it’s time spent with Him but we are not giving Him our undivided attention.  And how can we expect to hear Him when we are distracted by whatever it is we’re doing?

As 2012 begins it is my prayer that each of us will humble ourselves before the Lord every day.  I pray that quiet time with our Heavenly Father will be a daily priority.  It is our privilege to be able to speak to God anytime we want and an even greater privilege when we are able to hear Him speak to us. 

May God richly bless you and keep you safe throughout the year or until He returns.

Scripture

"And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by men. I tell you the truth, they have received their reward in full. But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.  And when you pray, do not keep on babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words.  Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him. Matthew 6:5-8